New jobs coming to Blissfield Manufacturing

Wednesday

Jun 19, 2013 at 9:49 AMJun 19, 2013 at 9:52 AM

By Daily Telegram staff

A $1.5 million expansion is planned for Blissfield Manufacturing, 626 Depot St. The expansion is anticipated to add 73 jobs over the next three years, according to company officials and a news release from Sen. Bruce Caswell, R-Pittsford.

Pat Farver, CEO and president of Blissfield Manufacturing, said in a news release today the expansion is bittersweet and comes as the result of the company’s decision to close its Jay Products facility in Portland, Ind. Those operations are being transferred to Blissfield.

“As a family-owned business, we sincerely regret having to close our facility in Portland, Ind. Decisions such as this are not made lightly. We value the people who have worked at Jay Products and have given so much,” Farver said. “Yet, the design of GM’s power steering system resulting in the obsolescence of Blissfield’s power steering cooler made the decision to consolidate plants the best direction for the company’s future.”

In a notice sent April 29 to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, Blissfield Manufacturing said 61 employees will be laid off due to the closure of the Jay Products plant. The layoffs are to be completed by the end of September.

Caswell announced in a June 13 news release that the Michigan Strategic Fund had awarded Blissfield Manufacturing a $365,000 performance-based grant. He congratulated the company on its sustained growth and commitment to the community.

In addition to the grant, the Blissfield Village Council will be considering a property tax abatement on the new equipment. No new construction will be necessary as the building has ample room to consolidate the new equipment, said Nancy Schiffer, company executive vice president.

Lenawee Now, formerly the Lenawee Economic Development Corp., helped the company secure the grant. Jim Van Doren, executive director of Lenawee Now, said the organization is also helping the company apply for Michigan New Jobs Training funding, with training done in coordination with South Central Michigan Works (SCMW) and Jackson College.

“We are pleased to share in these exciting times assisting Blissfield Manufacturing to incorporate new manufacturing processes that are creating additional jobs here in Lenawee,” Van Doren said in the news release.

People interested in available jobs are asked to call SCMW at 266-5627.

Blissfield Manufacturing was founded in 1946 and specializes in heat transfer technology within the automotive, off-highway vehicle, commercial refrigeration and industrial equipment markets.